Suction feed roller



March 26, 1929' BROADMEYER 1,706,952

SUCTI ON FEED ROLLER Filed NOV. 19. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 rlia E E It March 26, 1929. A. BROA-DMEYER SUCTION FEED ROLLER File Nov- 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 till Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

llhll'lE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT BBOADMEYER, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE W. 0.

HICKOK 00., OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

SUCTION FEED ROLLER.

Application filed November 19, 1926.

The present invention relates to suction rollers of the type disclosed in Letters Patent granted to me on May 13, 1924-, No. 1,194,303.

The object is to provide an improved mech anism that is peculiarly eli'ective tor leedin g relatively thick sheets of paper, such as cardboard, which will not give or bend with the curved peripheral surface of the roller-the structure however, being entirely practical for the feeding of light or thin sheets, as well.

A further object is to provide a structure in which the point at which suction takes place can be readily varied.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a similar viewf oi the opposite end with the suction conduit in section,

Figure 3 is a side elevation with a portion shown in section and taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line l-lof Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the suction heads,

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 oi Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a detail face view of the suction controlling disk, 7

Figure 8 is a view in end elevation of a modified form of construction,

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

In the embodiment disclosed in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, a drive shaft 10 is provided, on which is slidably keyed a body, including spaced walls 11, with a hub 12 projecting from one end of the body. The space be tween the end walls 11 is bridged bya series of pivot pins 13 havin their ends mounted in said walls 11..-

(in these pins are il'lOVtLlJlY mounted a set 01: heads 1-fl located one behind the other in the space between the walls 11. Each head let has forwardly extending cars 15 provided with slots 16, through which the pivot pin passes, and said head is chambered, forming a passageway 17 that opens by means of a port 18 through one end ot the head, and has a port 10 in the outer face of said head. This outer face, designated 20, is preferably Hat and constitutes in effect an outer section of the face of the drum. The heads can swing itreely and have a limited sliding movement Serial No. 149,471.

on their respective pins, so that a floating action is secured. Their outward movements, however, are limited by reason of each head having at one end. a curved shoulder 21 adapted to abut against the inwardly extend ing margin 22 of a ring 23 suitably mounted on the periphery of one of the end walls 11.

The end wall 11, from which the hub 12 projects, is provided with a series of ports 24 that are alincd with the ports 18 of the dil ferent heads, and rotatably mounted on the hub 12 alongside the end wall 11, which has said ports 2 1, is a disk having a slot 26, with which the ports 24 successively communicate as the head rotated. Mounted. on the hub 12, outside the disk 25 is a collar 27, the hub being rotatable in this collar and being held from detachment therefrom by suitable lock nuts 28. The collar is formed with a neck 29 provided with a sleeve 30 surrounding a suction tube 31 and said neck has a suction conduit 32 provided with an inlet port 33 that is in communication with the slot 26 of the disk 25, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

The conduit 31 is connected to the intake end of any suction device, such as a pump, and for an example of the mounting thereof and the connections, attention may be called to patent, No. 1,494,303, above cited.

The disk 25 is held against rotation with the suction roller. To this end it is provided with an car 34:, through which is threaded an adjliisting screw 35 that bears on the neck 29. A look nut 36 serves to hold the screw 35 in its adjusted position.

lVith this construction, it will be evident that when the roller is rotated, the heads are respectively dropped to their lowermost position by gravity, as they pass around the underside of the roller. At that time and as indicated in Figure 4 their internal chain-- hers or passageways 1819 are in eonnnunication through the port 24:, slot 26 and inlet end 33 of the passageway 32 with the suction conduit 31. The consequence is that an indrattt of air is created through the port 90. It then, the roller is dropped upon the top oi a pile of sheets, the uppermost sheet will beheld against the fiat lower face of the head, and said head moving forwardly, will carry the sheet with it. At the same time it can remain in substantially horizontal position for a part oi its movement from its undermost position. The consequence that a relatively heavy flat sheet can be picked up and carried i i ,illi llllll llllllllllllllllll lllllllll llll LlO - space between the she forwardly, an action that is not always successful where a rounded surface is employed, because of the inability of the sheet to bend with said surface and thus produce a substantially air-tight joint. A further advantageous action is secured by this device for it has been found that when the head carrying the sheet begins to move upwardly, the relatively sharp corner of its rear end vill ea a longitudinal pucker in the sheet that will break said sheet away from "he sheet beneath "the same, and thus insure their separation, so

that the usual air blast can find access to a ets and thus avoid to a inn. erial thedanger of two sheets being carried along together. T he suction operation it will be evident, takes place whenever a per 18 of one of the heads comes into communication with the slot of the disk. By turning the disk through the medium of the adjusting screw 35, the'position of the end of the slot 2% can be varied so as to advance or retard the point at which suction begins.

F or some purposes, it has been found that relatively movable sheetengaging heads or elements are not necessary, and therefore a structure, such as is shown in Figures (1 and 9 may be employed.

With such a structure, the rotary body 37 has its-peripheral face formed with a series of angularl-y disposed substantially flat sections 38, through which are formed ports 39 ha 'ing communication through the SlOt-lO of an adjusting disk 41 with the intakeport of the suction conduit 43.

t will be evident that this structure has ohe same general advantages flat faces that will lie flush against the surface of a sheetto start said sheet on its movement from a pile. This particular forin is peculiarly useful with thinner sheets tl an cardboard because said sheets will par ly conform to the angular form of the peripheral face, and will produce the pucker that insures the separation of the moving sheet from the sheet underlying it.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantzwes of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further descr ipti on, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of cons 'uction, may be resorted to without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

h at I cla in'i is:

1. A rotatable suction rol ler having a series of substantially flat perpheral, sheetengaging surfaces provided with intake ports, means by which the roller is rotated, said roller having passageways communicating with the ports and opening through one end of the roller, and a suction conduit having an inlet end with which the open ends of the passageways successively comuumicute as the roller is rotated. to car c suction successively through the flat surfaces.

9., A rotatable suction roller havin' a scrics of substantially flat peripheral, sheet-cugaging surfaces provided with intake ports, means by which the roller is rotated, said roller having passageways communicuting with the ports and opening in a circular series through one end of the roller, and a suction conduit having an inlet end at said cud of the roller and traversed by the ends of the pussageways to cause suction successively through the flat surfaces.

A suction roll'or comprising a body, a head movably mounted on the body and having a mounting that permits its limited free play, said head having a sheet-engaging face provided with a suction port, and mcuus for creating an indraft through the port.

i. A suction roller comprising a body, a head movably mounted on the body and having a mounting that permits its limited free play, said head having a sheet-engaging face provided with a suction port, moans for rotating the body and the hen d mounted lbcre on, and means for creating an iudral't through the port when the bend reaches a predetermined point of its rotation.

5. A suction roller comprising a body, a head pivotally mounted in the body a n d cm )able of movement toward and from the axis thereof, said head having limited free play on its pivot mounting and being provided through its outer face with a suction port,

and means for creating an indruft through the port.

6. A suction roller comprising body, a pivot pin carried by the body, a bead having a loose swinging and sliding mounting on the pin and provided with a port through its outer face, and means for creating an indraft through the port.

7. A suction roller comprising a body, a pivot pin carried by the body, a head having a slot in one end through which the pivot pin passes, means for limiting the outward movement of the head with. respect to the body, said head being provided with a suction port through an exposed face. and means for crouting an indraft through said port.

8. A. suction roller comprising a body with spaced end walls, a pivot pin extending across the space between the walls, a bead located between :the walls and sw'ingimgly mounted on the piinsaid head having an outer shcclengaging face provided with an iulukc port and a passageway opening tbrmie'b one cud of the head and commuuiudiug with the port, and a suction conduit with which the passageway conununicatcs.

9. A suction roller comprising a rotatable body, and means whereby it may be rotated, a plurality of heads inovably mountcd on the body and having outer sheet-engaging faces Jud lld

with intake ports opening therethrough, and means for creating an indrai t through the ports successively as the heads reach a predetermined body.

10. A suction roller comprising a rotatable body having spaced end walls, a plurality of heads located one behind the other between the end walls and capable oi. inward and outward movement with respect to the body, said heads having outer sheet-engaging faces with intake ports opening therethrough, and

means for creating an indra'ft through the ports successively as the heads reach a predetermined. position on the rotation of the body.

11. A suction roller comprising a rotatable body having spaced end walls and pivot pins carried by the end walls, a plurality of heads located one behind the other between the end walls and having slots in which the pivot pins are engaged, said heads having intake ports in their outer faces and passageways from the ports opening through one end of the body, and a suction conduit havinganinlet end across which the passageways pass as the roller rotates.

12. A suction roller comprising a rotatable body having spaced end walls and pivot pins carried by the end walls, a plurality of heads located one behind the other between the end walls and having slots in which the pivot pins are engaged, a stop ring; on one of the end walls against which the heads abut to limit their outward movement, said heads having substantially flat outer sheet-engaging faces and intake ports through the faces, passage ways from the ports opening through one end of the body, and a suction conduit having an inlet end across which the passageways pass as the roller rotates.

13. A suction roller having; a series oi? intake ports through its peripheral portion, passageways from said ports opening through the end of the roller, means whereby the roller rotated, a su tion conduit at the end of the roller and an intake end for said conduit traversedby th passageways, said end being movable to different positions along the path oi the passageways.

l t. A suction roller having a series of intake ports through its pern heral portion, passagenuiys from said ports opening through one end oi the roller about its axis of rotation, a suction. conduit, and a device interposed between the conduit and roller and having an intake port or said conduit that is in constant communication therewith, and is traversed by the passageways, said device being movable to place the intake port in different 'iositi ons.

15. A suction roller having a series of in take ports through its peri pheral portion, passageways from said ports opening through one end of the roller about its axis oi rotaposition on the rotationot the tion, a suction conduit, a device interposed between theconduit and roller and having an intake port for said conduit that is in constan't communicatimi therewith and is traversed by the passagtnvays, said device being movable to place the intake port in dillerent positions,'and means for moving the device.

16. A suction roller having a series of in take ports through its peripheral portion, pamsageways from said ports opening through one end of the roller about its axis of rotation, a suction conduit, a rotatable plate inter posed between the conduit and roller and having an intake port tor said conduit that is in constant comniunication therewith and is traversed by the passageways, and means for moving the plate to and holding it in dill'erent positions, to place the intake port in dill'crent positio1u-;.

1'7. A suction roller comprising a rotatable body having spaced end walls, one of which is provided with a plurality of ports, pivot pins carried by said end walls, a )lurality of heads located one behind the other between the walls and having slots that receive the pivot pins, said heads having outer sheetengaging iaces provided with intake ports and passageways leading from said ports and connnunicating with the ports in the end walls, a suction conduit having an end located adjacent to the end wall having the ports, a disk rotatably mounted between the conduit and the end wall and having a port communieating; with the conduit and movable to different positions with respect to the ports of the end wall so that the latter will. com1nunicatc therewith as the roller is rotated, and means for lining the disk in different positions with respect to the conduit.

18. A. rotary suction head having a rolling ei'iga-gement with successive portions of a sheet to cause such sheet to move in a path. gei'ierally tangential to the head, said roller having, a flat surface and provided with a plurality of suction orilices through its peripl'l-ery iz'icluding said flat surl ace,1neans tor rotatins t head, and means for cansii'ln suction successively through the suction orifices to cause the sheet to be maintained in rolling contact therewith and breaking said suction successively through the orilices to cause the sheet to leave the roller and moveedg 'ewise in such eel'ierally tai'igential path, said suction creating and, ln'cakii'ip; means acting sutlicicntly long through the oriti in the flat surface to cause the sheet to bend about the rear edge of the flat surface and break from the uinlerlying sheet.

19. A rotary suction head having a rolling en G1l1lll7 with successive portions of a sheet to cause such sheet to move in a path ,g'encrally tangential to the head, said roller having a plurality of peripheral. flat surfaces with substantially straight rear edges and provided with suction surfaces through said flatsurl aces, means for rotating the heachand successively release the dill'ercnt portions of means for. causing suction successively the sheet from said surfaces and cause its through the suction orifices 01 the successive said edgewise movement in said generally tan- 10 I surfaces to attach diflerent portions of the gential pathaway fronrthc roller.

5 sheet successively thereto and bend it about In testimony whereof, I allix my signature.

therear edges of the flat surfaces, and there- 7 after suceess-i-vely breaking such suction to ALBERT BROADMEYER. 

